The SQL Server columnstore index feature, code-named Apollo, stores data by columns instead of by rows, similar to a column-oriented DBMS. The columnstore index speeds up data warehouse query processing in SQL Server 2012, code-named "Denali", in many cases by a factor of 10 to 100.
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/sql-server-columnstore-index-faq.aspx
...